Final Crosswise

Thanks to all of you who have written to me over the past couple of weeks, wishing me and Barbara well as I take a new shot at retirement. Barbara insists that this is at least my tenth try. When I was at Trinity 2005-07, that was only my 4th attempt. What can I say? I have been blessed throughout my life with a job that I have loved. There have been times of wrenching emotion and of exuberant enthusiasm. I hope I have learned some things along the way, mostly from wise parishioners.

At the first Annual Meeting over which I presided, as a 27 year old rector, a crusty parishioner who became a close friend over the ensuing six years, stood up and said, “Just keep in mind this is my parish. I and these other people in the pews will still be here long after you are gone. We love this place and hope that you will come to love it too. ” Well, I did. As I have come to love every parish I have served, including Trinity Upperville. And I have kept in mind that this is your parish. The singular disappointment in my brief tenure as Interim is that the coronavirus kept us from the relaxed kind of interaction that we can have at coffee hour and as meetings prepare to begin. I have missed point-to-point races and opportunities to shoot skeet. I have seriously missed decent restaurants such as we do not have around us in West Virginia.

Mostly I have missed worshipping together, face to face. I have missed the connection with white robed acolytes lining up before a service, all under the loving guidance of Miss Lillian and Miss Katrina. The quiet behind-the-scenes dedication of the altar guild. Even as we all are eager to return to worship in the church building, I have profoundly appreciated the response to our online efforts. Thanks to readers for video recording lessons and prayers.

With this as my last CROSSWISE to you all, I must publicly say how indebted I am to Di Demaree as Parish Administrator, Betsy Crenshaw as “Director of First Impressions,” Tommy Breeden, as resident poet and Sexton Superb, and Christian Myers as Director of Music – wow! Thanks to Christian and the choir section leaders for excellent anthems and Children’s Time sermons that have been a pure delight. Thanks to Richard McPherson for such fine work as our organist. Thanks to the commitment of hard working vestry members, especially your excellent wardens, Johanna and Louise. I will miss you all.

But back to my main point – This is your parish. It will only work if you love it, tend to it, offer to jump in where you see a need. Trinity is a healthy and dynamic congregation. As magnificent as our campus is in the beautiful church and the Outdoor Sanctuary, in the cemetery and courtyard, those aspects of our parish life, that probably drew many of us to Trinity in the first place, are not The Church. You are. The buildings are only a museum without the people. With the people the campus is a jewel in the scepter of God and the launchpad for a ministry of worship, learning and service. Imagine your niche – where you want to fit in the Dream of God as it evolves for the parish. There will come a time when the coronavirus pandemic is in our review mirror. We can then rejoin one an-other in whatever will become our new normal. (I do not foresee that we will be able to go back to what we were, but will have to give shape to whatever is ahead.) But dream your way into a vibrant future. May it be filled with love and expectancy.

On July 1st, you will welcome a new Rector, The Rev. Jonathan V. Adams. For him it will be a new position. But it also puts all of you in a new position. So I offer to him and to you a blessing from one of my favorite poets, John O’Donohue.

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May your new work excite your heart,
Kindle in your mind creativity
To journey beyond the old limits
Of all that has become wearisome. 

May this work challenge you toward
New frontiers that will emerge
As you begin to approach them,
Calling forth from you the full force
And depth of your undiscovered gifts. 

May the work fit the rhythms of your soul,
Enabling you to draw from the invisible
New ideas and a vision that will inspire. 

Remember to be kind
To those who work for you,
Endeavor to remain aware
Of the quiet world
That lives behind each face. 

Be fair in your expectations,
Compassionate in your criticism.
May you have the grace of encouragement
To awaken the gift in the other’s heart,
Building in them the confidence
To follow the call of the gift. 

May you come to know that work
Which emerges from the mind of love
Will have beauty and form. 

May this new work be worthy
Of the energy of your heart
And the light of your thought. 

May your work assume
A proper space in your life; 

Instead of owning or using you, 
May it challenge and refine you, 
Bringing you every day further 
Into the wonder of your heart. 

- John O’Donohue, 

To Bless the Space Between Us (2008) 

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Peace and Joy, 
The Rt. Rev. Martin G. Townsend 
Interim Rector 

About Lent...

My personal approach to Lent has gone through wild swings over the years. I was raised in an Anglo-Catholic parish where prayers, fasting, mid-week services & vigils were the norm for many parishioners. My earliest practices and disciplines were shaped in that community even during my college years. It was in those seasons of intended piety that I first thought I might become a monk. I should note that I was dating Barbara at the time and she thought it was not a very credible idea. It turned out that I did not have a monastic vocation.

Going to seminary in low-church Virginia re-shaped my Lenten practices. Fewer mid-week services but still marked by giving things up – smoking, desserts and the like. I don’t know that I gave a lot of attention to why I did those things. It was simply in the rhythm of my year. I might have supposed that in some minuscule way it was an imitation, or at least an echo, of Jesus’ forty day fast in the wilderness.

And then came the 1979 Prayer Book and the Liturgy for Ash Wednesday (BCP p. 264). The first time I read the Litany of Penitence, I felt as if someone had read my mind and exposed my worst personal traits to the world.

“We confess to you, Lord, all our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our self-indulgent appetites and ways, and our exploitation of other people,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves,
We confess to you, Lord.

Our intemperate love of worldly goods and comforts, and our dishonesty in daily life and work,
We confess to you, Lord

Our negligence in prayer and worship, and our failure to commend the faith that is in us,
We confess to your Lord.”

My heart pounded at those words and they re-charged my understanding of Lent as a time of interior reflection and self-understanding. For a long time my focus was much less on giving something up and more on sitting quietly listening for some holy presence.

Taking on a practice seems to fit well into my current listening for the heartbeat of God. I encourage you to read a book like Walking in Wonder by John O’Donohue, or go to www.episcopalchurch.org and look at The Way of Love as a resource. You will be surprised at how warmed your heart might be.

Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Martin G. Townsend

Crosswise notes From The Interim Rector

Hello Dear People of Trinity Church,

After less than three weeks, I feel very much immersed in the life, issues and challenges of Trinity Church. As one of my favorite mystics, Dame Julian of Norwich, said in the 14th Century, “All will be well. All manner of things will be well.” Dame Julian did not have a detailed strategy to make all things well. Rather, she trusted that God would do that.

Moving in the direction of Julian’s confidence, here at Trinity we worship, we welcome, we study and serve. As part of our study, below is an outline for the Sunday Adult Forum for the next few weeks, starting on January 26.

That Forum hour is compact, so I hope we will begin promptly at 9:20 and conclude no later than 10:20. Celtic spirituality and the wisdom of the Irish and Scottish monks of the 5th through 9th centuries is a perfect fit as a spiritual tradition for Trinity Church. It is grounded in a love of creation and an embrace of community. It has had a major influence on my own life and prayer for the past twenty years and more. I love the stuff. I hope you will find it nourishing to your souls.

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Celtic Epiphany - An Outline
The readings suggested here are completely optional, offered for people who want to go a little deeper in their study. Each session will stand on its own, although there is continuity through the series.

Jan 26 - Dedicated to St. Patrick
The pre-Christian Celts
Church history in Britain, AD 180 - 1066

St. Patrick and the Irish mission

The Synod of Whitby, AD 664 - a point of decision

Suggested reading for next session: Listening for the Heartbeat of God, pp.1-38

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Feb2 - Dedicated to St. Brigid
The Synod of Whitby, AD 664 - Listening for the heartbeat of God

Two authorities: Peter and John Augustine and Pelagius

The Celtic Cross and the unity of Creation

Suggested reading for next session: Listening for the Heartbeat of God, pp.39-73

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Feb 9 – Dedicated to St. Kevin
A Celtic Pilgrimage - a film by John O’Donohue

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February 16 - Dedicated to St. Columba
Creation as revelatory of God

Thin places

Suggested reading for next session: Listening for the Heartbeat of God, pp.74-107

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Feb 23 - Dedicated to St. Hilda and St. Cuthbert
Whitby revisited

A spirituality for today: the unity of Creation, mystery, listening and prayer

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Deep peace, pure green of the grass to you.
Deep peace, pure brown of the earth to you.
Deep peace, pure grey of the dew to you.
Deep peace, pure blue of the sky to you.

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you

by Fiona Macleod (1855-1905)

Book Recommendations
J. Philip Newell, Listening for the Heartbeat of God

John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us

Thomas Cahill, How the Irish Saved Civilization

And…a heads-up about Lent. Paul Dietrich has produced a movie for PBS, INTO THE NIGHT: Portraits of Life and Death. Several people are interviewed about their understanding of death and how they are preparing for it. It is a sometimes moving witness and will be the primary content of Adult Forum during Lent. More information later.

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The Rt. Rev. Martin G. Townsend

Looking Forward

Hello Dear People of Trinity Church,

To say that I am looking forward to our time together over the next few months is an understatement. Thank you very much for inviting me back to Trinity for the remainder of this interim time. I arrive in the parish on January 2nd and will soon be meeting with Wardens, Vestry, Staff, and other groups to see how I can best pick up the opportunities that are now before us all. The period between installed Rectors is a time for reflection on possible new directions or points of emphasis in ministry, a time to consider our strengths and our growing edges. It is not yet clear to me how much of this work has already been done. I will look for wisdom and insight from all of you as we join in the journey ahead.

Of course I am excited to be reconnecting with old friends, and of equal importance is meeting new ones. Barbara joins me in sending you all greetings for this Christmas season and for Epiphany which we will celebrate this coming Sunday, January 5th.

Blessing and Joy for the New Year.
+Martin

Fast Paced November

Dear Friends,

November is always fast-paced and crammed with rapid transitions: All Saints’ Sunday with rejoicing that we are “all knit together in one communion and fellowship” … Ingathering Sunday on November 10 for the dedication of pledges as a resource for ministries as well as a weekend devoted to a celebration of beauty as sacred and a source of hope … November 17 which we are calling Mission Sunday to call to mind the joy of mission through what our visiting preacher Titus Presler calls “building companionship over boundaries of difference … Christ the King Sunday/Commitment Sunday with the culmination of the church year.

The underlying theme of thanksgiving is embedded in these Sundays as it is each week along with Thanksgiving Day, our national observance of gratitude. One element of thanksgiving distilled in these Sundays is the experience of living beyond ourselves. Praying, pledging, serving – these activities draw us beyond the boundaries we set for ourselves in our desire for personal security and self-determination.

So, we gather together to rejoice and give thanks for being grounded in our common prayer to fill our memories with the record of God’s mighty works, to enlighten our understanding with the light of the Holy Spirit, and to center the desires of our heart and in what God have us do.

I look forward to sharing this month with you and hope you will be at Trinity Church whenever you can.

Faithfully,
The Reverend Edward O. Miller, Jr.

Gratitude to God

Dear Friends,

The underlying theme of this September’s Genesis is gratitude - gratitude to God for bringing us all together … gratitude for the volunteers whose dedication to the common good adds so much vitality to this congregation … gratitude to the staff whose efforts support all that we do … gratitude for opportunities to do meaningful tasks by serving … gratitude for the beauty of this sacred space for which we are stewards … gratitude for challenges which arise from a greater vision … gratitude for prayers for our well-being that reflects God’s love for each of us.

September is a month for starting up or restarting activities, ministries, and programs after a summer pause. Starting is not instantaneous. Like an athlete or musician for whom warming up is necessary, we too are warming up as we regroup and make final plans for the fall. Please watch the weekly eGenesis especially in the coming weeks for additional information to welcome one and all to the startup for the year.

Of particular note is Sunday School, led by Melanie Hitchen and a dedicated group of teachers who continue what was begun last spring. The first classes are on September 15. The consensus of the teachers, who met to begin planning this year was that classes be held starting after Communion, at the end of the10:30 service and conclude at 12:15. Details will follow. The primary rationale for this timing was to allow families not to feel rushed to get to church by 9:15, to encourage everyone to participate in the primary activity of Sunday morning – the service of Holy Eucharist, and to take advantage of the coffee hour after the 10:30 service as a time for informal conversation. Coffee hours at Trinity Church work so well that I think this plan is well worth a try this fall. Trying new approaches and reviewing them as we go along is a benefit of an interim year. For now, please plan to bring your children and invite other children to participate.

We are also reviving the Adult Forums at 9:15, on most Sundays beginning on September 15. Vestry member Paul Coyer and I have been working on plans, and I have had numerous conversations with parishioners about possible topics. Watch eGenesis each week for details.

In the few months that remain of my Interim Ministry, I look forward to being with you for prayer, learning, and service.

We give thanks to God for the opportunity to be at Trinity Church in these exciting times.
Faithfully,
The Reverend Edward O. Miller, Jr.

Welcome to Summer

Dear Friends,

After all the excitement of a wonderful Stable Tour weekend, we move to a new month. Although June often seems to mark the beginning of a slower pace for the summer, this month is also a time of important activity. Our primary goal for the year is to prepare you for the next era of ministry with a new Rector. The Discernment Committee is working deliberately and thoughtfully sustained by the prayer we all say together each Sunday. They will present an update on their process at a Forum on Sunday, June 23, between the 8:00 and 10:30 am services. I hope you will stay after the early service or come early for the later service to hear from the committee and to ask questions.

During the summer, the Vestry and I will be planning for the fall and exploring ways to refine our efforts to be as effective as possible in leading the lively collaboration of volunteers and staff. I notice enthusiasm and dedication every day, and we seek to translate that energy into opportunities for newcomers and long-standing members to be engaged more deeply in the congregation.

The Vestry voted at the May meeting to elect Melissa Neal as our Delegate to Diocesan Convention and our Region and Becky Hoecker as the Alternate Delegate. We are grateful to them for serving in these important roles.

The other day, I received Mission Vouchers for the young people who were Confirmed on May 12. These vouchers are to be used before their 19th birthday to support mission experiences. The vouchers represent the interest in the people of the entire Diocese in the activities of our youth.

I plan to be away on two Sundays in June for weddings. I’m grateful to Jim Hammond for leading worship in my absence, and I am thankful daily for his friendship and wise counsel. The two Sundays I expect to be here are important because they direct us to the foundation of so much that defines us.

June 9, is Pentecost with the celebration of the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is the custom here for you to wear red to match the red on the altar. It is also the custom of the church to view this day, one of the seven feast days of the church year, as a time to renew our commitment to the mission of the church.

June 16, is Trinity Sunday, the only one of the seven feast days devoted to a doctrine. It is our special privilege to focus on the meaning of the day in the context of the name of our congregation. It is a Sunday to renew our commitment to the mission of the church through this particular church.

I look forward to June with you.

Faithfully,
The Reverend Edward O. Miller, Jr.

Welcome the Right Reverend Edwin F. Gulick

Dear friends,

Join us on Sunday, May 12, at 10:30 to welcome the Right Reverend Edwin F. Gulick for a service of Baptism and Confirmation as we support those being baptized and confirmed. Bishop Gulick is well known to us through his role as Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia and through his long-time family ties to this area and to Trinity Church. Bishop Gulick’s great-grandfather lived across the street in what is now the church-owned Gulick House. His great-grandfather practiced medicine there, and his grandfather was raised there. Currently a Visiting Bishop, he assists Bishop Goff with visitations twice a month.

It is our good fortune that Trinity Church has been chosen for one of his visitations. While Confirmation has a long and varied history, the central actions of confirmation have always been the laying on of hands and a prayer said by the bishop. Princess Elizabeth, who would become Queen Elizabeth I, was baptized and confirmed when she was three days old. During Elizabeth’s lifetime, however, confirmation was separated from baptism because it was associated with the age of reason. Confirmation became a moment for strengthening for Christian service those Christians who had already been given new birth in Baptism. A number of scholars have developed the following rationale for the connection between baptism and confirmation: “In baptism the Holy Spirit operates from outside to convey pardon and new birth; in confirmation the gift of the indwelling Spirit is bestowed.”

From late 13th century through the 1970s, Communion was limited to those who were confirmed. In the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, that practice changed as the Church returned to its Christian roots by viewing baptism as the primary basis for entrance into the Christian life with all of its privileges and responsibilities. Confirmation, however, continues to be a central part of the regular renewal of faith.

Over the years, I have found the role of the congregation especially important for two reasons. The first is that those being baptized or confirmed value the support of the people who join with them in worship. The second is that the renewal of our own baptismal vows strengthens us for service in the world.

I hope you will come on May 12.

Faithfully,
The Reverend Edward O. Miller, Jr.

Holy Week Cornerstone

Dear People of Trinity Church,

The Holy Week story is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Each year in its retelling from Palm Sunday through Easter, we stand on the outskirts of Jerusalem as Jesus enters the city, observe his trial, share in the Last Supper, witness his crucifixion, and join the women three days later at the empty tomb. The closing days of the life of Jesus, his crucifixion, and his resurrection describe the sacred story of salvation in the unfolding of human life. Those who were part of the story of Jesus revealed some of the most despicable and some of the most courageous qualities of human relationships. Loyalty and betrayal, determination and indifference, honesty and deception all take root in the drama.

So much of Christian theology can seem abstract and devoid of connection with daily life. The Holy Week story reminds us, however, that there is nothing abstract about the life of Jesus. His story becomes in small and large ways our story as well. The services on Palm Sunday (also known as the Sunday of the Passion), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter are designed to draw us into the story. Thankfully, the story is less about human weakness and more about divine strength. What had been proclaimed generation after generation is revealed in the God who acts as promised by being present in any and every place we find ourselves. Hope arises from real life and from God who makes life real. I hope you will dare to be in the story so that God’s story can truly be ours. Please join us for Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter.

Faithfully,
The Reverend Edward O. Miller, Jr.

Emphasis on Seasons

Dear People of Trinity Church,

One of the great features of the church calendar is the emphasis on seasons which complement key days. The season of Lent builds toward Easter just as the season of Advent leads to Christmas. The seasons were developed less to serve the needs of the church and more to serve the needs of the people. For this reason, Lent is not so much a means of maintaining discipline among church members by insisting on “prayer, fasting, and self-denial,” in the words of the Book of Common Prayer. On the contrary, Lent is a seasonal chance for people, through “prayer, fasting, and self-denial,” to gather ourselves together both in community and individually. The purpose is to collect ourselves that we might find the center of life. We engage in activities that help us reflect on the daily responsibilities that consume our time, energy, and resources. The Gospel passages from Luke help. Each Sunday Jesus engages the people he encounters in refining how they live and what truly matters.

Among what matters at Trinity Church is the role children play in our congregation. Thanks to volunteers, we are able to offer Sunday school for ten Sundays beginning with the First Sunday in Lent, March 10. The program, from 9:30-10:15 will be in three groupings: Nursery, Pre-K through 2nd grade, and 3rd through 5th grades. More specific details will be available weekly in the eGenesis. In the meantime, I hope you will encourage any children in your families or among friends to come.

Finally, the process for seeking a new Rector matters. With the Discernment Committee now formed, we commission them this Sunday with prayers for them and for the parish at both services. The Committee is task oriented, but its success will ultimately base its grounding in prayer. Please join us this Sunday as our prayers for this process begins.

I look forward to Lent with you.

Faithfully,
The Reverend Edward O. Miller, Jr.

From The Interim Rector

Dear People of Trinity Church,

Someone asked me recently how the size of Trinity Church compared to the size of other churches I have served. As I thought later about the question, I realized that I have always thought more about possibilities than sizes. Each church has been different in many respects – size, type of location, demographics, age, and history. Two have been named Trinity. In the short time I have been Interim Rector, possibilities have already emerged, and your energy to explore possibilities is striking. I have heard of your interest in expanding visual arts in addition to the artistic beauty of the buildings and music. There is renewed interest in ministries for and among children and youth as well as adults. There is conversation about more outreach engagement. During this interim period, we will explore possibilities as we can while the search for a new Rector helps us discern the possibilities that are most important.

While it is important to develop programs and discern the qualities of a new Rector it is even more crucial to be attentive to God’s many ways of envisioning possibilities. Always ahead of the people by leading in the “pillar of cloud by day and fire by night” and always beside the people with Jesus calming those in the boat in a storm or encouraging them to put down their nets deeper, God’s active engagement never lets the status quo immobilize those who yearned for greater purpose. As the season of Epiphany continues, I hope we will continue to give thanks to God for bringing us this far and for staying ahead of us in a future filled with possibilities for discipleship and ministry.

To help us with the discernment process for possibilities for the future with a new rector, we welcome the Reverend Dr. Mary Thorpe, Canon to the Ordinary of the Diocese of Virginia, on Sunday, February 10. She will be at both services to preach and will lead a discussion about the discernment process at a Forum between the services.

Faithfully,
The Reverend Edward O. Miller, Jr.